The national body for PET recycling, PETCO was established in 2004 as a way to self-regulate the industry and fund recycling efforts. PETCO’s aim is to contribute to the transformation of the South African economy by developing a new sector economy in which plastic does not become waste. Industry players from big brand bottling executives to waste collectors have come together to unlock the economic opportunities associated with recycling plastic bottles.
According to a poverty trends report released by Statistics South Africa in 2017, female-headed households remain significantly poorer than their male counterparts. “We believe PET waste collection and recycling can provide job creation and income-earning opportunities for women trapped in the cycle of poverty “said Cheri Scholtz,CEO of PETCO.
Scholtz highlighted that many women were already doing exemplary work at grassroots level. Salphy Nkoana is one of the women creating employment and contributing to poverty alleviation through PET plastic recycling in Tembisa, Gauteng. Nkoana established Masupatsela Cooperative, which has been operating since 2011. Alongside a group of women, Nkoana started the initiative as a means of alleviating poverty in their community. They collect recyclables from more than 600 households, schools and shopping complexes and enjoy the support of the Ekurhuleni Municipality.
PETCO vice-chairperson Tshidi Ramogase, who is also the Director of Public Affairs and Communications for Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, said uniquely African solutions were now needed to grow a collective mindset geared towards sustainability. “In South Africa, you have people collecting and selling waste as an income source. We should recycle, but let’s be practical about solutions that make sense for us and for our circumstances”. She adds that more and more women were making inroads into recycling, especially in the SMME space.
Amanda Mkhize
